Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homeless Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Huntington announces partnership to relocate low‑barrier shelter outside downtown; residents voice cautious approval
Summary
Mayor Farrell said the city launched a partnership with health and service providers to move the low‑barrier shelter outside downtown and provide wraparound services; a resident told council she is "relatively pleased" but urged vigilance after past failures.
Mayor Farrell announced during the April 14 Huntington City Council meeting that the city last week launched "an unprecedented partnership with leading health and service providers to relocate the low‑barrier shelter outside of downtown," aiming to protect downtown safety while offering wraparound services and a path to long‑term stability.
The mayor said the relocation is part of a package of actions taken in his first 100 days in office, and described the shelter move as intended to keep the city center vital while concentrating services "under one roof" to support people experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters: The mayor framed the relocation as a public‑safety and service‑delivery measure that could change how Huntington manages sheltering and outreach. Council members and staff described related steps in the administration's early agenda to address abandoned and dilapidated properties, speed enforcement and flood mitigation.
During the public comment period, resident Athena Daniels said she was "relatively pleased" if the city delivers on the plan and asked the city to proceed in good faith. "To all the people talking about giving a chance, you don't get a chance to ruin people's lives or even kill when you are in a position of power," Daniels told council, saying prior actions had placed residents at risk and that the community will continue to hold officials accountable.
Other parts of the mayor's 100‑day report touched on enforcement actions against unsafe boarding houses and vacant properties, enhanced speed and DUI enforcement, and steps on flood mitigation for Fort Polk Creek. The mayor also noted outreach with state legislators that he said authorized creation of a new excise sales tax district to fund future downtown and riverfront projects.
No formal council vote on the shelter relocation was recorded in the meeting minutes; the mayor presented the partnership as an administrative action underway rather than a council ordinance or resolution. Council members and staff did not record further formal direction or conditions in the transcript of the meeting.
Council members and residents at the meeting expressed cautious optimism about the proposal alongside calls for continued oversight. Daniels and other speakers urged the city to ensure the plan includes sufficient services and safeguards and to avoid repeating past mistakes that community members said had endangered residents.
Looking ahead: The mayor said this initiative and other actions from his first 100 days set groundwork for the next 100 days; no additional dates or formal deadlines for the shelter move were given during the meeting.
